‘The joys of pure, naked Love delight us And the rocking bed-springs rattle in tune with our joy.’
Well... he was a ‘functioning alcoholic’ who drank half a bottle of madeira for brunch. And a further two bottles of wine during the day.
His ‘autobiography’ – more of a narcissistic collection of ‘Conversations’ was put together with the hapless Johann Peter Eckermann.
His life-partner was called Christiane Vulpius. They had one son, August.
She too was an alcoholic, but not too cute on the ‘functioning’ side. She died aged 51 of a ‘drinker’s end’.
They liked fooling around.
A lot.
He wrote a tragic play based on a true historical figure, Johann Georg Faust (c. 1480–1540). The erudite hero is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroads, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures.
Which may find context in the opening two lines: 'The joys...'
Final clue: Beethoven set his poetry, Franz Liszt transcribed six of these settings and pianist Ian Pace will be performing these transcriptions, of these settings, by this poet, as part of the York Late Music concerts on Saturday 5th April, 7.30pm at the St Saviourgate Chapel, York.
Full concert details and ticket info here.
And the answer is...Ted Hughes.
OK, it's Goethe.
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